Sunrise
by Adventuresomely
Summary: Look at the sun. Face the sun and smile.


The daily rising of the sun…

It's one of the most underestimated miracles of the Earth; something that we rarely pay attention to in the ways that we should. Its sight alone can energize us and give us strength to go on when nothing else seems to work. It casts aside the darkness of the night in favor of a new day, where new things and possibilities are available to each and every living being. There's so much you can learn from the simplest, most fundamental parts of life. Stop, now, to take a moment and appreciate the sun for what it brings. All life on Earth stems from its power to shine every day.

I used to take the sun for granted, too. It was just a part of life that nobody praised, just like nobody praises the grass for growing or the leaves on trees for turning orange and yellow in the fall. It's such a common theme, it never seemed like there was very much to look into or care for. It's a perspective that changed with a fateful talk – one that was, oddly enough, within my own mind. In a sense, I taught myself something beautiful and wonderful; a truth of the world and the fact that things are never quite as bad as we may make them seem.

Magicant – My first and last visit was upon using the soundstone.

The soundstone was a powerful rock imbued with a special psychic energy and the ability to retain 'My Song', from the sanctuary locations all around Earth. It played the peculiar melody straight into my mind, down to the deepest part of my subconscious that I was unable to reach consciously. From it, long forgotten memories of childhood stirred within me – times where happiness existed and sadness only came upon me in very infrequent visits.

Childhood had been a wonderful thing, and with the melody, I found myself lost to black and white pictures – like an old movie. There were images of me as a baby, wearing my father's hat as I laughed and giggled like infants do when they're happy. Then in another moment I saw myself growing up, wearing the very first backpack I'd ever gotten as I trot off to school, whistling happily to myself. The final images were of my sister, Tracy, being brought home from the hospital – the day she'd been born. She slept peacefully as I kept watch over her – like a sort of guardian. Mom and dad didn't dare take me off to bed, even though it was long past my bed time.

Then everything went black and I felt myself falling, spiraling as I fell into the black abyss of my own mind.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a beautiful and very bizarre land where creatures of all sizes and natures sang out of glee. Giant carrots sprung up from the ground and sky scrapers quite literally touched the sky, seeming to support it with their sheer size. I saw my mom and sister sitting in the thick, lush green grass, and a number of other strange people that I could only vaguely recognize as friends of my childhood. All of them talked so oddly – as if they were merely a dream and nothing more. That could be an accurate description, since everything here was merely a figment of my mind. Despite how odd this place was and how alien I was to be here, I felt so at home and as if I belonged here.

Looking down at my own body, I found that I was completely stark naked and that my clothing was nowhere in sight. Despite how embarrassed I would usually be over this fact, I felt completely unabashed by it in this strange land. It didn't seem like there was much shame in showing my body here, seeing as this world was entirely my own. What judgments could possibly be made against me when everything was made up by my own mind? I was absolutely free, and it was an exhilarating sensation since I often had to hide part of myself within the real world. Here, I didn't have to cower under a façade, proving myself a man and an adequate leader to everyone who believed in me. To feel so much like you belong in a certain place, so loved and cared for, and like you can truly be your own self – isn't that somewhat like heaven?

I explored the land for a short time, talking to people I'd once known who laughed with me in a jolly fashion, and others who cried to me for how I'd wronged them in the past. Each emotion I felt; it seemed to change the atmosphere of the area, the coloration changing with it. Sadness brought on darker colors and happiness brought on lighter – it seemed completely logical in that sense; as logical as a color changing world could get, at least.

Feeling sad from speaking to one particular past enemy – Master Barf to be precise - I soon found myself sitting next to some flowers; some very odd looking flowers, at that. Each of them had a sort of smiley face, surrounded by their colorful petals. As I sat down, they started to sing, swaying back and forth in a lively fashion. It was as if they were dancing out of joy, despite the fact that they were indeed rooted to the Earth and couldn't actually move from their spot. The tune they sang was nothing that I actually could remember, but it sounded upbeat and cheerful like a childhood nursery rhyme. Just from hearing their little tune, the coloration of the area was starting to change again – lighter colors once more. A contented sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes and simply listened.

Onward and onward they went for several minutes with their beautiful song, until finally they ceased their singing on a dying note. At that, I opened my eyes and curiously glanced over at the flowers, momentarily wondering why they'd stop and if they would start again. I immediately took note that each of their 'heads' were tilted toward me, watching me with interest, now. It was as if they were wondering why I was still around and sitting so close to them, instead of going on my way. Seeing the flowers watching me so intently, I felt slightly abashed and as if I'd somehow offended them by being so close. Tentatively, I waved my hand at the little flowers and, somewhat to my surprise; they waved back with their leaves and swayed in a back and forth motion. They were so bizarre, but not really more so than any of the other things here.

I turned to look away from the flowers, then, but was caught off guard when I heard the voice of one gently call out to me in its feminine voice.

"Ness… Look at the sun."

I blinked, confused at the request. The flower pointed it's leaves outward to the sea, which seemed to stretch indefinitely into the distance. I turned my attention to where it'd pointed and what I saw – it was illogical given the lighting of the landscape currently, but it was so very beautiful. The sun was just beginning to rise into the sky, light peaking over the endless water to cast an orange glow on its surface. It caused it to glimmer in such a beautiful way; it was absolutely breathtaking to me. Sunrise had never seemed quite so beautiful to me in the past, so why now did I feel this bizarre warmth inside the core of my being?

"Face the sun and smile", said another flower with a more masculine voice.

Smile I did. I beamed brightly as I watched the sun rise higher and higher into the sky. The lighting was changing again – I hadn't noticed it, but it was changing to fit how I felt. As bizarre as it may seem, I felt like, just for that one moment, I was one with nature and the flowers. The landscape was taking on a more realistic coloration; dark, but gaining color as the sun cast its rays upon every surface. I felt renewed at the sight – a new day was coming on, even in this unrealistic world of fantasy; it seemed symbolic to me, but I wasn't quite sure how.

I watched in silence, smiling the entire time the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. Only once it had fully peaked over the water and had cast its glow upon Magicant did I turn back to the flowers, whom continued to sway back and forth as they took in the Sun's energy.

The feminine voice spoke again, seeming somewhat focused on something this time, "Ness, you're like the sunrise, too… You cast light on the darkest nights and bring out the best in people. You shine brightly, even when everything seems so wrong… From you, other suns are born, too."

It trailed off after it had spoken and soon, the flowers returned to singing once more, smiling brightly just as they had previously. I couldn't help myself but ponder what the flowers had said to me, turning my attention back to the ever rising sun. It was such a strange thing - for flowers to know so much despite being just that – flowers. It was so symbolic in a way, but I couldn't begin to properly explain all the ways that it was.

Beauty – there was so much beauty in the sun and the flowers were right; when night fell, all that was left was never-ending darkness that shrouded all of the great things the world has to offer. Night… Couldn't that be symbolic for self -doubt, confusion or fear? The sun drove away all of those things and brought happiness to the world day in and day out, balancing darkness with light.

They said I was the sun.

Yes, they were right. I was crippled with fear over Giygas and of everything that was going to happen soon. I was terrified of failure and the supposed destruction of the world that would follow if I did fail – the night had overtaken me and crippled me with its blinding darkness. I had started to lose sight of myself and my courage that had taken me this far already.

But the night doesn't last forever and the rising sun always drives away the darkness.

Like courage, the rising sun always wins out against fear, because in the end, there's truly nothing to fear but fear itself.

That was the day I learned from the sun and the flowers; my light would reach the others and help them shine brightly, too.


End file.
